Revolver loader



Sept. 29, 1964 I. VAN SCHOICK REVOLVER'LOADER 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 Filed July 10, 1961 INVENTOR. IVAN VAN JCHO/C/f BY %4+%A I FIE ATTORNEYS p 1964 VAN SCHOICK REVOLVER LOADER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 10, 1961 IN VENT OR. Ivan Van .Schofigk BY R7 70RNEY8 United States Patent 3,150,459 nEvoLvEn LoAnER Ivan Van Schoick, 2281 W. Lincoln, Birmingham, Mich.

My invention relates to loading devices for firearms and more particularly to an apparatus for rapid loading of a revolver cylinder.

An advantage of semi-automatic hand guns heretofore has been the ease and rapidity with which they may be reloaded. The cylinder of a revolver, on the other hand, must be loaded one chamber at a time. In police work especially, speed of reloading may be a matter of life and death.

Another advantage in having preloaded clips is the ease and safety of carrying extra ammunition.

An object of the present invention is to facilitate use of revolvers by providing a means of rapid reloading.

A further object of the invention is to simplify the handling of revolver ammunition by providing a device operable to retain loaded cartridges in a safe but accessible fashion.

Another object of the invention is to make speed of revolver loading comparable to semi-automatic loading by providing a device retaining a full complement of cartridges and operable to selectively eject same into the chambers of a revolver cylinder.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views and in which FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a device constructed in accordance with the present concept.

FIG. 2 is an elevational end view of the device as seen from the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional View taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top elevational view of a revolver with the cylinder in loading position and illustrating the present device located preparatory to loading.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of another preferred device.

FIG. 6 is an elevational end view of a preferred device as seen from line 6-6 of FIGURE 5 with the cartridges removed for purposes of clarity.

A preferred device is seen to comprise a holder 1% adapted to retain a plurality of cartridges 11.

The parts of the holder 1% include a preferably cylindrical casing 12 provided with a plurality of annularly spaced parallel cylindrical recesses 13 each slightly larger. in diameter than the base rim 11A of the cartridges 11 and of a length less than the overall length of the loaded cartridge 11 so that the bullet end projects from the casing 10. The recesses 13 are spaced to match the chambers of a revolver cylinder.

A central recess 14 in the casing 11} is openly connected with the peripheries of the recesses 13, through provision of longitudinal slots 15. A raised boss 1% is disposed in the inner end of the recess 14 and preferably has a flat center surface 16A and a sloped peripheral surface 16B.

A latch element 20 made of spring material has a fiat central portion 26A arranged to lay on the flat boss surface 16A and a plurality of radially extending finger portions 20B extending at an angle to the plane of the portion 20A and toward the inner ends of the recesses 13. The finger portions 20B thus normally project through the slots 15 into the recesses 13.

A plunger 21 is slidably carried in the central recess 14 and has an inner recess 21A larger than the boss 16 to 3,159,459 Patented Sept. 29, 1964 provide an inner peripheral edge 21B which engages as shown with the finger portions 20B, outward displacement of the plunger 21 being restrained by any means such as a screw 22 threaded into a central bore 23 in the casing 12.

It will be seen that when the cartridges 11 are individually inserted into the recesses 13, the finger elements will be slightly resiliently compressed toward the boss 16 and will snap over the rims 11A of the cartridges 11 to retain them in their recesses.

The plunger 21 extends outwardly from the casing 12 as indicated but not as far as the loaded cartridges 11. It will be apparent that the plunger 21 may be forced inwardly against the finger elements 20B, resiliently compressing same toward the boss 16, whereby substantially simultaneously retracting the finger elements ZiiB from the recesses 13 to release the cartridges 11.

In FIG. 4, a revolver 30 is shown with the cylinder 31 extended for loading. The holder 11), with the cartridges 11 retained therein is positioned as shown, the cartridges being aligned with the chambers of the cylinder 31. The holder is then brought toward the cylinder 31, partially inserting the cartridges therein. The outer end of the plunger 21 will make contact with the end of the ejector mechanism 32 of the revolver cylinder 31. Application of pressure on the holder 19 will thereby force the plunger inward to simultaneously release the cartridges 11 as previously described.

Although any means such as springs or, the like may be provided to eject the released cartridges 11, I prefer to leave this function to the force of gravity, in which case the revolver 36 will be held vertically asin the drawing and the holder 19 will be positioned with the cartridges 11 depending therefrom so that when released, they will eject by virtue of their own weight.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 a modification is illustrated as comprising a holder adapted to retain a plurality of cartridges 11.

The holder 110 comprises a preferably cylindrical casing 112 provided with a plurality of annularly spaced parallel cylindrical recesses 113 each slightly larger in diameter than the base rim 11A of the cartridge 11 and of length less than the overall length of the loaded cartridge 11 so that the bullet end projects from the casing 110. The recesses 113 are spaced to align with the chambers of a revolver cylinder.

A central recess 114 in the casing 111) communicates with the recess 113 through a plurality of longitudinal slots 115 extending radially from the central recess 114.

' A handle element 121 is slidably carried in the inner end of the central recess 114- and has a portion 122 extending outwardly from the casing 110 through a centrally located hole 10A, inward displacement of the handle 121 being limited by any suitable means such as an enlarged portion 123.

Disposed in a plane normal to the axis of the handle element 121 is a disc portion 124 and a plurality of finger elements 125 extending radially from the disc portion 124. The finger elements 125 extend through the longitudinal slots 115 and engage the bases of the cartridges 11. The disc portion 124 and the finger elements 125 preferably seat, when retracted, in a suitably shaped recess 110B.

A latch element 126 made of spring material is secured to the casing 112 at the inner end of each of the recesses 113 by any means such as a screw element 127.

As the cartridges 11 are inserted into the recesses 113 the latch elements 126 snap over the base rim 11A of the cartridges 11 and clamp them in the recesses 113. When the holder 111] is aligned with the chambers of a revolver inward pressure exerted on the handle 121 acts to move the finger elements 125 against the base of the cartridges 11 thus dislodging them from the latch elements 126 and ejecting them into the chambers of the revolver.

It will thus be seen that a device constructed in accordance with the present concept not only provides a simplified and easily operated means for rapidly and simultaneously loading all the chambers of a revolver, it affords a means of safely carrying extra ammunition in readily available complements. Actual testing has shown that the time required to reload a revolver using the present device is approximately only one half or less of the time required to reload in conventional manner. This is of course a valuable asset in competition and sporting use as well as in police and military work.

Although I have described only two preferred embodimerits of my invention, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a plurality of cartridges each having a bullet end and a radially outwardly projecting base rim opposite said bullet end, a device for loading said cartridges into the chambers of the loading cylinder of a revolver comprising (a) a casing having a plurality of annularly spaced cylindrical recesses positioned to coincide with said chambers of said loading cylinder,

(b) each of said recesses respectively receiving one of said cartridges with the bullet end of said cartridges projecting from said casing in a position to be inserted into said chambers of said loading cylinder,

(c) a resilient clamping element carried by said casing in each of said recesses and each of said clamping elements respectively engaging only the base rim of said cartridges to retain said cartridges in said recesses,

(d) a plunger axially slidably carried in said casing and being provided with a plurality of radially extending finger elements,

(e) said casing being provided with a plurality of axially extending slots each respectively communicating with one of said recesses,

(1) each of said finger elements extending respectively through one of said slots and into said recesses to a position intermediate the end of said cartridge carried therein and said casing whereby as said plunger is moved axially to move said finger elements against said cartridges said base rims of said cartridges are out of engagement with said clamping elements and said cartridges are released from said casing.

2. In combination with a plurality of cartridges each having a bullet end and a radially outwardly projecting base rim opposite said bullet end, a device for loading said cartridges into the chambers of the loading cylinder of a revolver comprising,

(a) a casing having a plurality of annularly spaced parallel cylindrical recesses positioned to coincide with said chambers of said loading cylinder and of lengths shorter than said cartridges,

(b) each of said recesses respectively receiving one of said cartridges with the bullet end of said cartridges projecting from said casing in a position to be inserted into said chambers of said loading cylinder,

(0) said casing having another recess centrally positioned and parallel with respect to said annularly spaced recesses,

(d) the periphery of said central recess being openly connected with the peripheries of said annularly spaced recesses,

(c) said casing having a frusto conical boss portion at the inner end of said central recess and axially aligned therewith,

(f) a retainer element comprising a central portion carried on the free end of said boss portion and a plurality of finger elements radially extending into said annularly spaced recesses for engagement with the base rims of said cartridges whereby said cartridges are retained in said annularly spaced recesses,

(g) said finger elements being resilient and extending at an angle to the axis of said central recess and inwardly toward the inner end of said annularly spaced recesses,

(11) means selectively operable to resiliently urge said fingers from said annularly spaced recesses and toward said boss portion whereby said cartridges are released from said annularly spaced recesses,

(i) said means comprising a rod secured to said boss portion and extending axially into said central recess and a plunger axially slidably carried on said rod,

(i) said plunger having an annular edge engaging said fingers and means being provided on said rod to limit movement of said plunger to prevent disengagement of said annular edge from said fingers,

(k) said annular edge having a diameter larger than the diameter of the surface of the free end of said cross portion whereby as an axially inward force is applied to said plunger said plunger annular edge resiliently compresses said fingers radially inwardly toward said boss portion and out of engagement with said base rims of said cartridges to release said cartridges from said casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 837,929 Hawley Dec. 11, 1906 1,228,505 Wesson June 5, 1917 1,655,624 Nelson Jan. 10, 1928 1,964,171 Pflaume June 26, 1934 2,399,904 Baucum May 7, 1946 2,406,232 Lima Aug. 20, 1946 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A PLURALITY OF CARTRIDGES EACH HAVING A BULLET END AND A RADIALLY OUTWARDLY PROJECTING BASE RIM OPPOSITE SAID BULLET END, A DEVICE FOR LOADING SAID CARTRIDGES INTO THE CHAMBERS OF THE LOADING CYLINDER OF A REVOLVER COMPRISING (A) A CASING HAVING A PLURALITY OF ANNULARLY SPACED CYLINDRICAL RECESSES POSITIONED TO COINCIDE WITH SAID CHAMBERS OF SAID LOADING CYLINDER, (B) EACH OF SAID RECESSES RESPECTIVELY RECEIVING ONE OF SAID CARTRIDGES WITH THE BULLET END OF SAID CARTRIDGES PROJECTING FROM SAID CASING IN A POSITION TO BE INSERTED INTO SAID CHAMBERS OF SAID LOADING CYLINDER, (C) A RESILIENT CLAMPING ELEMENT CARRIED BY SAID CASING IN EACH OF SAID RECESSES AND EACH OF SAID CLAMPING ELEMENTS RESPECTIVELY ENGAGING ONLY THE BASE RIM OF SAID CARTRIDGES TO RETAIN SAID CARTRIDGES IN SAID RECESSES, (D) A PLUNGER AXIALLY SLIDABLY CARRIED IN SAID CASING AND BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF RADIALLY EXTENDING FINGER ELEMENTS, (E) SAID CASING BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY EXTENDING SLOTS EACH RESPECTIVELY COMMUNICATING WITH ONE OF SAID RECESSES, (F) EACH OF SAID FINGER ELEMENTS EXTENDING RESPECTIVELY THROUGH ONE OF SAID SLOTS AND INTO SAID RECESSES TO A POSITION INTERMEDIATE THE END OF SAID CARTRIDGE CARRIED THEREIN AND SAID CASING WHEREBY AS SAID PLUNGER IS MOVED AXIALLY TO MOVE SAID FINGER ELEMENTS AGAINST SAID CARTRIDGES SAID BASE RIMS OF SAID CARTRIDGES ARE OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CLAMPING ELEMENTS AND SAID CARTRIDGES ARE RELEASED FROM SAID CASING. 